Improved steam dredging-boat



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM H. NOBLES, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVED STEAM DREDGINGBOAT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,347, dated June 5, 1866.

l'o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. N oBLEs, of St. Paul, Ramsey county, State of Minnesota, have invented an Improved Steam Dredging- Boat for Channeling Rivers and I do hereby declare the following to be an exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a top View, and Fig. 2 a side elevation," of the boat, and Figs. 3 and 4 the shape ofthe plows.

The nature otl my invention consists in the wheels being set diagonally or straight across the boat, having the plows arranged spirally around the wheels, that revolve in apertures of the frame in front ot' the boat, or straight across the center of the frame, to be operated by steam-power.

A represents the shape of the boat. B are the supports of the frame C in front, and to which frame or platform C the engines and dredging-machine are attached.

D represents the engines, and E the wheels, set obliquely or diagonally; or they may be set parallel with the square end of the stern of the boat. The center beam ot' the frame C is pivoted at the center of the bow at G. H represents the shaft or axis of the wheel E, and J represents the cranks attached tothe engines D.

The plows L are somewhat similar to the curved shape ot' an ordinary plow, but are set obliquely on the post or arm M, the arms be ing fastened to the buckets or frame-work N ofthe wheels permanently by strong clips, and supported in their pla-ces by a back strip, the mortise P ittin g to the axle H and the second mortise P also tits on the axle H when the shovels or plows are to be extended for the purpose of digging the channel deeper. These plows are attached to the wheel in a spiral form, so that the second plow throws away to one side the earth thrown up by the irst furrow. The earth is thus thrown to each side of the boat, instead of piling up the dirt on a The advantage of m invention bein to l'ie with the square stern of the boat.

annel on each side of the center of the b at, according to the curving stream, either si e workin g faster or slower, seas to conform wi h the inner or outer radius of the curve of th stream, to go counter to which would only rell he channel. I have ballast movable boxes or ears R on the deck of the boat, so as to'regand vice versa, as shown by the dotted lines marked S.

Another advantage is that in strong currents my diagonal or oblique wheels will operate effectually without the use of steam, by the force ofthe current operating on the buckets of the obliquely-set wheels, preventing the accumulation of earth at the center of the channel.

I also permanently place a double-moldboard plow, T, inthe front of the boat, between the wheels E, so as to remove any ridge of dirt that may accumulate between the inside ends ofthe wheels that may not have been reached by the plows on the wheels, or what the wheels may have. failed to cut.

V are the ordinary feed-works, with the anchor-ropes W attached.

The upper works or frame, tov which the wheels, plows, or screws are attached, is so made as to cover a much more extended sur face than the hull of the vessel, so that when the machinery is in motion it will operate outside and beyond the hull of the vessel, and the sand or earth removed by such opera tion so far to either side as will admit a free passage, and so as to make any desirable curve corresponding with the draft or current of the stream.

What I claim as my invention, land desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The wheels E, operating in square apertures, and located either obliquely or straight across the boat, having their plowsLse-t spir ally and oblique] y, so as to make a clear channel and throw the dirt to each side ofthe boat, when said devices are combined with the upper works or frame of a vessel greater in extent than the hull thereof, as herein described.

2. The combination of the spirally-set plows L, platform G, and center plow, T, when arranged upon a boat, as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

W. H. NOBLES. 

